The present invention relates to aerial splice closures, and more particularly to splice closures intended for outdoor use in the telecommunications industry, where rodent damage is an ever-present risk.
Rodents are not believed to relish plastic splice closures, nor are they thought to derive much nutritional value from eating them. Nevertheless, they do chew them up, probably due to their continual need to gnaw to keep their incisors shortened. The economic costs from this damage can be enormous, and have stimulated industry studies and proposals for rodent resistance in such closures. For example, Bellcore Technical Advisory TA-NWT-000950, Issue 2, December 1993, titled "Generic Requirements for Optical Network Unit (ONU) Closures" addresses Rodent Resistance in .sctn..sctn.5.6.3 and 6.6.3. Among the recommendations for non-metallic closures are that they have "Minimum outside radii of 1 inch" and "Smooth external surfaces with minimum protrusions."
Experience has shown that these are not trivial criteria, especially since practical closures are expected to be re-enterably openable and closeable, must have access ports through which signal cables can enter and exit, and must be sufficiently rugged to withstand brutal weather. So challenging are these criteria that, as presently understood, they are not yet an industry standard. (Bellcore TA-NWT-000950 is an Advisory only.)
A need therefore remains for efficient and effective methods and apparatus which can environmentally protect communication cable splices economically, durably, and reliably, while meeting rodent resistance requirements of the telecommunications industry.